Members of which of the following phyla exhibit adaptations so widely ...
Mollusca is the second largest animal phylum
so it clears that it has various adaptions to survive
Members of which of the following phyla exhibit adaptations so widely ...
Members of the phylum Mollusca exhibit adaptations to a wide range of environmental conditions. This phylum includes a diverse group of organisms such as snails, clams, octopuses, and squid. These organisms have colonized various habitats, including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments.
Diverse Body Plans:
- Mollusks exhibit a wide variety of body plans, allowing them to occupy different ecological niches. For example, snails have a spiral shell that provides protection and buoyancy in aquatic environments, while octopuses have a soft body that allows for flexibility and maneuverability.
Adaptations for Mobility:
- Mollusks have evolved various adaptations for locomotion. Some, like snails and slugs, have a muscular foot that they use for crawling. Others, like clams and mussels, have a foot modified for burrowing into sediment. Cephalopods, such as octopuses and squid, have highly developed muscular arms and tentacles that enable rapid movement and efficient hunting.
Shell Formation:
- Many mollusks have evolved shells, which provide protection against predators and physical damage. The shells are typically made of calcium carbonate and are secreted by a specialized tissue called the mantle. The shape, size, and composition of the shell can vary greatly among different species, reflecting adaptations to different environmental conditions.
Respiration:
- Mollusks have evolved various mechanisms for respiration, depending on their habitat. Aquatic mollusks typically have gills that extract oxygen from water, while terrestrial mollusks have evolved lungs or modified gills that allow them to breathe air.
Feeding Strategies:
- Mollusks have adapted various feeding strategies to exploit available food sources. Some, like filter-feeding bivalves (clams, mussels), extract nutrients from suspended particles in water. Others, like predatory cephalopods, have beak-like jaws and tentacles for capturing and subduing prey. Herbivorous mollusks, such as snails, have specialized radulae (a feeding organ) for scraping and grinding plant material.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, members of the phylum Mollusca exhibit a wide range of adaptations that allow them to thrive in different environmental conditions. These adaptations include diverse body plans, mobility strategies, shell formation, respiration mechanisms, and feeding strategies. These adaptations have enabled mollusks to colonize a variety of habitats and occupy different ecological niches.
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